Editing Automaton (section)

{{short description|Self-operating machine}}
{{distinguish|text=[[automation]] as a process}}
{{About|a self-operating machine|other uses|Automaton (disambiguation)|Automata|Automata (disambiguation)|text=}}
[[File:MechaDuck.png|thumb|A postulated interior of the [[Digesting Duck|Duck of Vaucanson]] (1738–1739)]]
[[File:Clockwork crayfish automoton, made in Augsburg 1589, Technical Instrument Museum, Dresden.jpg|thumb|Clockwork crayfish automaton, made in Augsburg in 1589, Technical Instrument Museum, Dresden]]
[[File:Mechanical Pinochio.gif|thumb|150px|[[Pinocchio]] automaton]]

An '''automaton''' ({{IPAc-en|ɔː|ˈ|t|ɒ|m|ə|t|ən|audio=en-us-automaton.ogg}}; {{plural form}}: '''automata''' or '''automatons''') is a relatively self-operating [[machine]], or control mechanism designed to automatically follow a sequence of operations, or respond to predetermined instructions.<ref name="definition">{{Cite web |date=2024-01-04 |title=Definition of AUTOMATON |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automaton |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref> Some automata, such as [[Jacquemart (bellstriker)|bellstrikers]] in mechanical clocks, are designed to give the illusion to the casual observer that they are operating under their own power or will, like a mechanical [[robot]]. The term has long been commonly associated with automated [[puppet]]s that resemble moving humans or animals, built to impress and/or to entertain people.

[[Animatronics]] are a modern type of automata with [[electronics]], often used for the portrayal of characters or creatures in films and in theme park attractions.